AUSTIN – Being smaller than everyone you are competing against can sometimes work to your favor, but it is rare that a young lady the size of Skidmore-Tynan’s Erica Nevarez goes into the shot put ring to throw against the best in the state and fares well.

Nevarez did not win in Austin at the UIL state track and field meet, but she wasn’t last, and she was only four feet short of the winning toss—pretty darn good for a competitor who was outweighed at times by 40-50 pounds or more. She was the smallest girl in her division at the state meet to compete in the shot put.

The state 2A champion shot putter from Salado tossed the iron ball 39-10, and Nevarez’s best throw of the day traveled 35-9.5. Nevarez finished eighth out of nine competitors in the closely bunched event.

“We knew coming in that the competition would be pretty tough. I just told her to go out and have fun, to soak up this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said S-T coach John Salinas.

“I also told her that a lot of athletes would give anything to have the chance to compete at state.”

The experience alone was extremely satisfying. To be able to compete at the highest level offered in high school athletics, to know that you are one of the best in the state in the sport you are competing in will always be a highlight of any athlete’s career.

“No matter how she finished, I thought she did a great job representing Skidmore-Tynan,” Salinas said.

Nevarez understood and reveled in her experience.

“It was a great experience being able to go against girls who worked just as hard as me. It was an even greater experience knowing I was the first girl in track from S-T to go to the state meet since 1996,” said Nevarez on Monday after her weekend in Austin.